Network devices, such as network controllers, access points, network servers, etc. exchange network packets. The network packets may be generated by applications run on a network device, and communicated to another network device for the purpose of processing of those network packages. For example, an application run by an access point may generate network packets that include application specific data. The access point then transmits the network packets to a network controller to enable an application run by the network controller to process the application specific data. Such applications may include security applications, network performance applications, data routing applications, etc.
Because there are typically numerous network packets being transferred between network devices over a computing network simultaneously, the efficient handling of those network packets becomes increasingly important in order to avoid data bottlenecks at the destination network devices, as well as to enable the timely processing and exchange of application-specific data between applications on different network devices.